Back to schools under security bar

LAHORE - Amid tight security, Punjab resumed educational activities Monday after 24-day winter vacations. The government announced winter vacations from December 19, 2014 to January 3. Later, it extended the holidays until Jan 12 due to security concerns after the Peshawar devastation. However, some private schools would resume activities after January 19.Punjab University, GCU, Lahore College for Women University and some other universities and colleges with most of the private schools reopened.Officials said on anonymity that thin attendance was reported on the first day. However, they said the administration hoped that attendance would be better in a couple of days. They said mostly parents visited the schools to review security steps. Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif ordered his ministerial squad to monitor security measures across the province.Chairing a meeting of administrative secretaries at Civil Secretariat, Punjab Education Minister Rana Mashhood said besides general schools, colleges and universities, technical educational institutions, special educational institutions, medical colleges, agriculture universities, veterinary universities, national college of arts, law colleges and schools of fashion designing have also been included in the check lists of security arrangements. He told the meeting that divisional commissioners and RPOs concerned would prepare roadmap for inspection of schools by provincial ministers and administrative secretaries. Rana said funds had been provided to DCOs for the purposes.The minister also visited Govt Girls High School, Model Town; Divisional Public School, Govt College of Home Economics, Queen Marry College, Govt Girls College Model Town and Aitcheson College Lahore. He met teachers and students and expressed his satisfaction that our new generation has come out of psychological pressure of Peshawar tragedy. The minister said that the entire nation had united against terrorism. During his visit to Aitcheson College, some parents told the minister that a portion of boundary wall of Aitcheson College could not be raised up to 8 feet, upon which, Rana Mashhood directed the principal to complete this work within a week and during this period, Aitcheson College will remain closed up to January 19.PU exams schedulePunjab University Examinations Department has issued the schedules for submission of admission fee and forms for BSc Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) (Four Year Programme) Part-I and II 2nd Annual Examination 2013 & Annual Examination 2014. The last dates for submission of admission forms for said exams with single fee are 23-01-2015 & 16-01-2015 while the forms can be submitted with double fee till 29-01-2015 & 19-01-2015 respectively. Commencement dates of said exams are 10-02-2015 and 29-01-2015 respectively. Detailed schedule is also available at PU website www.pu.edu.pk.